The truth is that relatively little is known about sporadic Kallmann's syndrome, other than that this form of the disease affects the majority of sufferers, perhaps 60% or more. By definition, sporadic Kallmann's syndrome occurs sporadically or without warning. If you have this form of the disease, you have no previous family history of Kallmann's syndrome. Infertility may never have been a problem in your family before and in fact, you may have been one of several children and your grandparents and great-grandparents may have had large families too. Nobody can yet say how and why sporadic Kallmann's syndrome occurs, but one theory is that a genetic mutation or change takes place in a region of an as yet unidentifed chromosome at the time of the fertilisation of the mother's egg cell by the father's sperm cell.
In the answer to Question 14, we learned that sufferers of sporadic Kallmann's syndrome may have characteristics some of which are not normally found in those affected by the X-linked form of the disease. Amongst
people with sporadic Kallmann's syndrome, it is very rare to observe bimanual synkinesis and unilateral renal agensis but gynaecomastia, shortened fourth metacarpals, harelips and cleft palates are occasionally found.
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